Largest Airports in the World
Over the years, the airline industry has grown rapidly, new airlines and airports are emerging and expanding their space to accommodate more passengers. According to IATA (International Air Transportation Association) the aviation industry supports $3.5 trillion (4.1%) of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). This is subject to increase to 105 million jobs and $6 trillion in GDP in 2034. As Istanbul new international airport is supposed to be the biggest international airport in the world but the expansion is still under construction and it is subjected to be completed by 2025. Currently, these are the world’s largest airport:
King Fahd International Airport- DMM. Situated in Dammam, Saudi Arabia; King Fahd International airport is the world's largest airport. It is a hub for Saudia and SaudiGulf Airlines. Here are some of the facts about the airport:
Code: DMM
Size: 301.15 mi²
Elevation: 72′
2. Denver International Airport- (DEN). Size: 52.4 mi². Denver International Airport is the biggest airport in North America and the second largest airport in the world in terms of total land area. It is located 40 km from Denver, Colorado. Many conspiracy theorists have stated about different conspiracies about the airport including some of them named it as "Creepiest airport in the world". Here are some of the facts about the airport:
Code: DEN
Elevation: 5,430′
Number of runways: 6
Hub for: Frontier Airlines, United Airlines
Employees: 35,000
Opened: February 28, 1995
3. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) : The world’s fourth-largest airport is also in the USA. So large is the airport that it has a ZIP code of its own. The postal service technically considers the Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport a separate city.
The airport spans an impressive 27 square miles. Besides the Dallas/Fort Worth areas, the airport serves about 260 other destinations.
The Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is a hub for American Airlines. Below are the statistics :
Code: DFW
Elevation: 607′
Number of runways: 6
Hub for: American Airlines, Ameriflight, UPS Airlines
Opened: September 23, 1973
4. Orlando International Airport (MCO) : Orlando International Airport (MCO) is situated about 6 miles (10 KMs) away from Orlando, Florida. It is the state's busiest airport, serving over 850 daily flights and 135 destinations on 44 airlines. The airport occupies 53.8 square kilo meters and started operating in 1942 as a US Army Airforce facility. However, airline flights began using the facility in 1961 after the US and the City of Orland reached an agreement on its use. In 2019, the airport handled 50.6 million passengers on 2019. It serves as a hub for Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Sun Country Airlines.
5. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) : Washington Dulles Airport is one of the major airports in the Washington-Maryland-Virginia region. It is located in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties in Virginia and about 26 miles (42 KMs) from Washington DC. The airport is named after Joh Dulles, the US’s 52nd Secretary of State, and was opened officially in 1962. The airport code is IAD to curb confusion with DCA (Washington Reagan Airport). Dulles Airport sits on 22 mi² (52.6 square kilometers) of land and serves over 24 million passengers annually and more than 125 destinations.
6. Beijing Daxing International Airport PKX: - In 2020, they’re expecting over four billion passengers to travel by air. The architect who designed the new Beijing airport, Zaha Hadid, made a futuristic design in a starfish shape, making it easy for passengers to reach their gate in less than 8 minutes. Its solar panels, waste heat recovery, and water management systems limits the environmental impact that such a big airport can make to the ecosystems in the area.
7. George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) : Similar to the Washington Dulles airport, this one is also named after a politician - George H.W. Bush. It’s also another hub for United Airlines. It’s slightly smaller than the Washington airport, clocking in at 10,000 acres large, but it handled double the amount of passengers, with over 45 million passing through in 2019.
8. Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) : It’s located in Pudong, Shanghai and services the Shanghai area. It occupies over 10,000 acres of land and it handled a staggering 74 million passengers in 2018, making it the busiest international gateway of mainland China.
Shanghai Pudong International Airport is also the hub for many Chinese airlines including: Air China, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Shanghai Airlines and Spring Airlines.
9. Cairo International Airport (CAI): As the only African airport to make this list, Cairo International Airport is an impressive building, located in Heliopolis, Egypt. It is the hub for Egypt air and the airport is located in Heliopolis, to the northeast of Cairo around 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) from the CBD (central business district) and has an area of approximately 37 square kilometres (14.28 sq mi). It is the second busiest airport in Africa after OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
10. Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) : The word "Subarnabhumi" is a Sanskrit word सुवर्णभूमि which means "Land of Gold". Suvarnabhumi Airport covers an area of 3,240 ha (32.4 km²; 8,000 acres), making it one of the biggest international airports in Southeast Asia and a regional hub for aviation. The airport is also a major Cargo Air Freight Hub (20th busiest in 2019), which has a designated Airport Free Zone, as well as road links to the East Economic Corridor (EEC) on Motorway 7.The airport is on what had formerly been known as Nong Nguhao (Cobra Swamp) in Racha Thewa in Bang Phli, Samut Prakan province as well as the districts of Bang Kapi, Lat Krabang, Bang Na and Prawet in the eastern side of Bangkok, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) from downtown. The airport is currently the main hub for Thai Airways International, Thai Smile Airways, Bangkok Airways and Thai Vietjet Air. It also serves as regional gateway and connecting point for various foreign carriers connecting to Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa.
